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‘Her life is important’: Black clergy leaders and allies rally around victim in Deep Ellum case

Black faith leaders on Tuesday continued to lambasate last week’s assault of a woman in Deep Ellum and amplified their concerns about the possible role of race in the attack.

L'Daijohnique Lee (center) wipes away tears as she is consoled by her attorney, Lee Merritt (right) as the Rev. Phea Kennedy (left), pastor of New Jerusalem AME Church of Dallas, speaks during a press conference denouncing violence against women at the Joy Empowerment Center in Dallas on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Dallas area faith leaders joined in solidarity denouncing violence against women and racial hate crimes. (Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)

Black faith leaders on Tuesday continued to lambaste last week’s assault of a woman in Deep Ellum and amplified their concerns about the possible role of race in the attack.

The clergy said at a news conference — which followed recent protests — that the attack on L'Daijohnique Lee merited enhanced charges against the suspect, Austin Shuffield.

Video of the attack, which shows a man landing a series of punches on Lee’s face, has gained national attention. But Shuffield, who is white, has been charged with misdemeanor assault and is now out of jail after posting a $2,000 bond.

“We doubt seriously that if the assailant was black and the victim was a young white woman that this would be the case,” said the Rev. Michael Waters, a founding pastor of Joy Tabernacle African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Attempts to reach Shuffield on Tuesday were unsuccessful. Raul Reyna, a spokesman for the Dallas County Sheriff's Department, said Shuffield declined a court appointed attorney and did not have one on file.

Nicole Walton, spokeswoman with the Dallas Police Department, said the incident is still under investigation.

According to police records, the March 21 assault occurred after Shuffield and Lee were into a dispute in a parking lot in the 2800 block of Elm Street, near Crowdus Street. The argument turned physical and Shuffield slapped the woman's phone out of her hand as she reportedly tried to call 911.

Shuffield told a police officer that he was acting in self-defense after the woman started hitting him, the arrest warrant states. The video shows the woman shoved Shuffield, who then landed a barrage of punches.

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Protesters filled a City Hall briefing room Monday to call for enhanced charges. Lee and her attorney, Lee Merritt, held a subsequent news conference in which the woman said she lives in fear with Shuffield back on the street.

As clergy members spoke Tuesday, they called Lee a woman of “tremendous courage” for speaking out. Lee, who did not speak at the news conference, and Merritt stood nearby.

“As we saw this assault unfold, not only did we see Ms. Lee, I saw my wife. I saw my mother. I saw daughters," Waters said. "And if we don’t defend her in this moment of injustice, not only do we fail Ms. Lee, but we fail our families as well."

Kamilah Hall Sharp of The Gathering said violence against women must end.

“Her life is important and the community is supporting her,” she said. “This process may take many days, but we are calling on the community to stand with her each and every day.”

2/2L'Daijohnique Lee (center) wipes away tears as she is consoled by her attorney, Lee Merritt (right) as Rev. Phea Kennedy (left), pastor of New Jerusalem AME Church of Dallas, speaks during a press conference denouncing violence against women at the Joy Empowerment Center in Dallas on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)